Rangers Definitively Down Flint Firebirds In Michigan Road Match

Flint, Michigan - It was a rout for the Rangers in Flint on Wednesday night as the Boys in Blue won 7-2. Greg Meireles led the way for Kitchener with one goal and three assists, while Nick McHugh scored two goals and picked up one helper. Another notable highlight was Isaac Langdon’s first goal of the season.

Luke Pfeil stopped 36 of 38 shots to improve his record to 4-1-1-0 on the year.

FULL GAME REPORT:

Despite playing at home last night and having to drive to Flint for a game Wednesday night, the Rangers couldn’t have asked for a better start to their contest with Firebirds.

2:59 into the first period, the Rangers stripped the Firebirds of the puck in the defensive zone, which led to a two-on-none breakaway that resulted in Nick McHugh’s fourth goal of the season. Mike Petizian picked up an assist on the opening goal.

Shortly after, the Rangers won a draw that ended up on the stick of Kitchener’s point leader, Rickard Hugg, who didn’t miss the opportunity to bury his 13th goal of the season. Greg Meireles earned an assist on the goal at 4:05.

Besides three penalties, two to Flint, and one to Kitchener, the first didn’t see any more action on the scoreboard.

At the end of the opening 20 minutes, it was 2-0 Rangers with Flint leading in shots, 14-11.

38-seconds into the second period, Jonathan Yantsis found the back of the net to put the Rangers comfortably up 3-0 on his team-leading 20th goal of the season. Meireles and Hugg were the assists on the milestone goal.

At 8:08, Flint’s Jake Durham took a cross-checking penalty and 19 seconds into the powerplay, Hugg tipped in his second of the night on a shot from Garreffa at the blue line. Meireles also picked up an assist, his third of the night, and the Rangers led 4-0.

Justin MacPherson took a tripping penalty at 15:11 of the second period, and at 16:00, Jake Durham scored his 12th goal of the season after a Riley McCourt shot from the point went off a Rangers defender and right onto the stick of Durham. Michael Bianconi also got an assist on the goal that made it 4-1.

Kitchener restored their four-goal lead at 18:00 on McHugh’s second goal of the night and Garreffa’s second assist of the night, 5-1.

After 40-minutes, the Firebirds led in shots 28-22.

At 11:50 of the third and final period, Meireles picked up his fourth point of the night on his first goal of the night to put the Rangers up 6-1. Justin MacPherson earned an assist on the goal.

Then, at 15:32, Isaac Langdon, on a cross-crease pass by McHugh, scored his first goal of the season to put the Rangers up 7-1. Garreffa also assisted on the goal.

18:26 into the third, Durham scored his second powerplay goal of the game to make it 7-2 and that’s how the game would end.

Flint outshot the Rangers 38-32.

The next road game for Kitchener is on Sunday, December 2 at 2:00 pm vs the Guelph Storm

Other Ranger Action

Otters Defeat Rangers At AUD

Kitchener, ON.: The Erie Otters (10-13-1-0) visited The Aud on Friday November 23rd in a tilt against the Rangers (12-12-2-0) who were playing their third game in four nights.

The Otters got out in front early and never looked back, beating the Rangers 5-1.

Donovan Sebrango was given a game misconduct after a hit to the head and subsequent fight.

Alexey Lipanov scored his fifth goal of the season while Michael Vukojevic and Greg Meireles each picked up an assist. Lucas Pfeil stopped 28 of 33 shots in the loss.

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FULL GAME REPORT:

At 4:43 of the first period, the game’s first penalty went to Kitchener for too many men on the ice. On the ensuing powerplay, Erie’s Gera Poddubyni notched his 12th goal of the season and that put the Otters up 1-0.

On Erie’s eighth shot of the game on Lucas Pfeil, Petr Cajka found the back of the net for his eighth of the season on an assist by Kyle Maksimovich, his second of the night. After 14:03, it was 2-0.

It was at 16:12 that Erie opened their lead up to three when a cross-ice pass by Kurtis Henry deep in the Rangers defensive zone went off Maxim Golod’s stick and onto the stick of Brendan Sellan who made good on the opportunity to score his second goal of the season making it 3-0.

The period ended with the Otters up in shots, 11-5.

The Rangers Reid Valade took a high sticking penalty at 6:16 of the second period and then at 7:52, Maksimovich picked up his third point of the night and 13th goal of the season on assists from Poddubnyi and Jamie Drysdale to increase the Otters’ lead to 4-0.

At 16:01, Donovan Sebrango got a fighting major and a checking to the head penalty that led to a game misconduct. In retaliation to the hit, Sellan went after Sebrango and that melee led to him getting an instigator, fighting and 10-minute misconduct penalty.

On the 4-on-4, Alexey Lipanov scored his fifth of the season off a string of passes by Michael Vukojevic and Greg Meireles. The goal cut Erie’s lead to 4-1.

The period would end with 1:01 remaining on the Sebrango penalty and the Otters up in shots 23-15

At of the third and final period, the Otters broke into the Rangers defensive zone on a two-on-one and Cajka capitalized, scoring his second of the night to put Erie up 5-1.

Erie outshot Kitchener 33-25 overall.

The Rangers next home game on Friday, November 30 at 7:30 pm versus the Niagara IceDogs. The next road game for Kitchener is on Sunday, December 2 at 2:00 pm vs the Guelph Storm.